Desk Pad

The purpose of the Desk Pad is to have a portable hard surface that can be placed on the ground or certain chairs that do not have a table in front of them. The desk pad is self-standing which allows for a comfortable time doing work. It is also portable with folding legs to fit easily into a bookbag. This product is great for anyone who likes to do work outside on chairs or on the ground.

Supplies

The materials that you will need are:

All the materials can be found at your local hardware store.

One 12x13 piece of your desired wood. I went with plywood since it was lightweight and easy to work with.

Eight .5" squares of wood. This can be from any scrap.

Four 9" (length) PVC(1/2 diameter) pipes.

One 7.5" PVC(1/2) pipe.

One 6.3" PVC(1/2) pipe.

4 PVC 1/2" connectors

Four 1/2" PVC pipe conduit clamps.

Sanding paper 80 grit and 120 grit.

Optional materials:

Wood Stain.

2 Old rags.

Spray paint; colors of your choice. I used gold and black for this project.

Step 1: Step 1: Wood Cutting

For the desk, I measured and marked for the size to be 12x13".

Afterward, I cut my wood using a bandsaw since it was thin enough to do so.

I then cut eight .5" squares. These will eventually go under the conduit clamps.

Step 2: Step 2: PVC Pipes

I then cut the PVC pipes using a Miter Saw.

4- 9"

1-7.5"

1-6.3"

4-1/2" connectors

I then went ahead and spraypainted the PVC pipes gold.

I made sure the spray paint I used was able to bond to the plastic.

I followed the directions on the can and waited for 15 minutes-till dry to start assembling the pieces.

I also spray painted the 4 PVC conduit clamps black.

Step 3: Step 3: Sanding

I then sanded my piece of wood.

When sanding, sand in the direction of the grain of the wood.

I started to sand using 80 grit and then transitioned to 120 grit.

After sanding the wood I wiped it down with some cloth to remove any unwanted dust.

Step 4: Optional Step 4: Stain the Wood

I wanted my wood to be a darker color than it was so I decided to stain it.

I first raised the wood by passing a semi-damp cloth over the wood.

Next, I dipped the damp rag into the wood stainer and wiped it on the wood going in the direction of the grain.

I did this on both sides.

Then I allowed it to dry for 2 hours and did not do another coat because the first coat gave me the desired color.

Step 5: Step 5: Assembling the Legs

Attach the first 7.5" pipe to two connectors.

Then attach two 9" pipes to the same connector.

Next, attach the 6.3" pip to two connectors.

Then attach two 9" pipes to those connectors.

Step 6: Step 6: Attaching the Small Squares

The clamps will not reach the base so in order to fix this the eight .5" squares will go under the PVC conduit clamps.

I measured with the legs on the base to figure out where the wood needed to be glued on.

I then used wood glue to glue the .5" squares of wood to the base.

Afterward, place the legs in their positions for the next step.

*The position is that the 6.3" in width leg is placed inside the 7.5" width legs.

Step 7: Final Step: Attaching the Legs

I heated a high-temperature glue gun.

Once heated I coated the inside on the conduit clamps to create a cushion so the legs do not move as much.

After they dried I placed hot glue on the .5" squares of wood and placed 2 conduit clamps along the width of the legs.

I waited for 5 minutes for the glue to harden to then unfold the legs.

Step 8: Final Product

Here is the final Desk Pad product that is easy to use and carry.